27 May 2017

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is considering introducing a new article separate from war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution in connection with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent proposal to enshrine the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in the supreme law, it has been learned.

Prime Minister Abe argued in a video message released on May 3 that the Constitution's Article 9 should be revised to clearly define the SDF while upholding the article's first paragraph renouncing war and the second paragraph that bans Japan from maintaining any war potential.

However, instead of adding a third paragraph to Article 9, the LDP on May 24 began looking into introducing what it calls "Article 9-2" to the Constitution. By creating a separate article, the LDP aims to demonstrate that it will uphold Article 9 in its current nature. It also hopes to gain understanding from its coalition partner Komeito, which has shown reluctance toward changing the government's interpretation of Article 9 and expanding the role of the forces.

The LDP seeks to finalize its draft revision by the end of the year while working in close coordination with Komeito.